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5 Great Myths About Writing

People write for various reasons. Some take it as a hobby, and it’s a career for some. Some write to sort out their feelings and some write to tell a story.

Each and every person in this world has a story to tell. And all of them also have the freedom to do so. Anybody can write. One of the best things about writing is, it does not require any prerequisite skills or a degree. All it needs is a drive to write. The Passion.

A friend of mine once quoted, ‘Writing is like a child, you have to nurture it.’

It’s true. You cannot write something and expect it to be perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to fall short of words, it’s okay if doesn’t make any sense at first. The only way to find out if you’re a good writer or a bad one, is to WRITE.

So here are the great myths about writing.

1. You need some sort of inspiration to write. Writing never just happens! It takes a great amount of time and effort. Nobody becomes a ‘good writer’ overnight. Waiting around for ideas and inspiration won’t help. Just start with a normal day-to-day experience and you’ll be good to go. Atleast, that will give you a headstart.

2. You can only write if you use a ‘sophisticated’ vocabulary.Using a strong vocabulary is necessarily not a bad thing. But using huge words can make your entire writing complicated and difficult for the reader to even understand it. As long as it tells a good story, and gives you a sense of satisfaction, you have nothing to worry about. The vocabulary only needs to be simple and clear enough to convey the story without getting in the way. So stick to the original form. And Keep it simple, silly!

3. You can only write if you read a lot. Of course the people who write are avid readers, but that doesn’t mean it is a necessity. It only helps to fuel your imagination more, not create it. Reading only makes you a better READER. Only writing can make you a better writer. You don’t need to read to express yourself. It just provides you with a chain of thoughts.

4. You can only write if you have a degree in literature, otherwise not.This is true ONLY if you want a job as an editor, or writing for newspapers or magazines. No one else cares about your education when it comes to good writing. All anyone wants, or cares about, is a good story, well told. Higher education has little history of graduating successful fiction writers.

5. “I’m not a Born Writer”.Many people believe that great writers are born, not made – a most unfortunate misconception. Let me tell you something, writers are NOT born. The very fine example I have is of Mr. Chetan Bhagat. I don’t think in his initial stages of life, he would have ever thought that he’d become this successful a writer. But looking at that IIT and IIM Alumni today, it’s hard to believe that he has writing as a career. The only thing you need to know is what to write, how to write and how to practice it further.

So start writing my friends. Also while writing on your laptop or computer, disconnect your internet for a while! It surely helps you from getting distracted. It happens that people tend to write when they’re too happy or way too sad. While that is the case, take advantage of it ! Take the good or the bad in your life, and turn it into a beautiful piece of art.

“Sometimes the story finds the storyteller, not the other way round.”– Neverwas (movie)